Doddridge County Roots

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William Emanuel SWIGER

William Emanuel SWIGER

Male 1848 - 1938  (90 years)

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  • Name William Emanuel SWIGER 
    Born 28 Feb 1848  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    Gender Male 
    Census 1850, 1860  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 1865  Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5] 
    Military Between 18 Feb 1865 and 10 Jun 1865  [5] 
    Pvt, Co I, 6th W.Va. Infantry, Civil War 
    • The Company Descriptive Book on file at the National Archives (fold3.com) shows that William E. Swiger enlisted as a Private in Company I, 6th W.Va. Infantry on 18 Feb 1865 in Wheeling, W.Va, for a term of one year. Enlistment officer was Capt. Benjamin B. Stone. Physical description: Age 17, height 5'9", fair complexion, hazel eyes, dark hair. Birthplace Doddridge County. Occupation farmer. When he mustered in at Wheeling on 20 Feb 1865, he received a bounty of $33.33, with a balance due of $66.67. The terms of his bounty resulted in his enlistment being credited to Ohio County. Since he was a minor, written consent for his enlistment was provided by his father, Daniel Swiger. His home residence was listed as Yaters [Yeaters] Mill, Doddridge County, a community now known as Center Point.

      The following relevant entries are found in the military record of Pvt William E. Swiger, Co I, 6th W.Va. Infantry:

      Mustered in on February 20, 1865 in Wheeling.
      Absent sick in U.S. Gen. Hospital, Grafton, W.Va. - March 28, 1865. Influenza.
      Hospital Muster Roll, U.S.A. General Hospital, Grafton, W.Va., for March/April 1865 - Returned to duty April 1, 1865.
      Readmitted on April 1, 1865. Measles.
      Hospital Muster Roll, U.S.A. General Hospital, Grafton, W.Va., for March/April 1865 - Returned to duty April 7, 1865.
      Mustered out on 10 Jun 1865 in Wheeling.
    Census 1880, 1910  McClellan District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation farmer  [6] 
    Residence Rinehart (Wallace), Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Died 14 May 1938  Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7] 
    Buried Center Point Christian Church Cemetery, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7, 8] 
    Notes 
    • William E. Swiger's obituary states that he died in May 1938, exactly "two months and sixteen days after his 102nd birthday." It further states that he was born on Feb 28 1836 near Center Point, that he enlisted as a Cavalry soldier in the Union Army in 1861 at age 25, and that he was wounded at the Battle of Bull Run, incurring a bullet in the leg and a bayonet cut on his hand. His death record and grave marker also show his birth date as Feb 28 1836. But this account is inconsistent with his 1865 marriage record, which gives his age as 19 (b. 1846); with his 1924 marriage record, which gives his age as 77 (b. 1847); with his Feb 1865 military enlistment, which gives his age as 17 (b. 1848) and with all seven census records in which he appeared. While the 1900 Census specifies his birth date as Feb 1845, age 55, his ages in the three earliest censuses would put his birth date in about 1848. Regarding his military service, records show that he enlisted in the Infantry at age 17, just two months before the end of the war, and spent much of his brief enlistment sick in a hospital in Grafton.

      1850 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Oct 4 1850:
      Daniel Swiger, 32, farmer; Mary, 44; John C, 13; Ann E, 12; Nancy E, 9; Andrew H, 7; Tabitha, 5; William H (sic), 2.

      1860 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Jun 1 1860:
      D. Swiger (male), 44, farmer; Mary, 55; A. (female), 16; W. E. (male), 12.
      NOTE: The 16-year-old child identified as a female would appear to be son Andrew.

      1870 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (McClellan Twp), enumerated on Jul 21 1870:
      William E. Swiger, 22, farmer; Alice A, 24; Sarah T, 3; John D, 1.

      1880 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (McClellan District), enumerated on Jun 19 & 21 1900:
      William E. Swigger, 32, farmer; wife Alice A, 31; dau Sarah T, 12; son John D, 11; dau Mary V, 8; son Benjamin B, 5; dau Louesa H, 3; son William H, 2.

      1900 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (McClellan District), enumerated on Jun 7 1900:
      William Swiger, 55, b. Feb 1845, farmer, married 34 yrs; wife Alice A, 55, b. Mar 1845, mother of 9 children (8 still living); son William H, 21, b. Nov 1878; dau Martha O, 15, b. Aug 1884; son Henry W, 10, b. Aug 1889.

      1910 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (McClellan District), enumerated on Apr 18 1910:
      William E. Swiger, 67, married 45 yrs; wife Alice A, 66, mother of 9 children (8 still living); son Henry W, 20, married 1 yr.

      1920 Census, Wetzel Co, WV (Grant District), enumerated on Jul 17 1920:
      William Swiger, 75, farmer; wife Alice, 74.

      1930 Census, Harrison Co, WV (Sardis District), enumerated on Apr 24 1930:
      William E. Swiger, 87, retired; wife Virginia, 65.
      In the adjacent household was William's son Henry W. Swiger and his family.
    Person ID I74466  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 26 May 2022 

    Father Daniel SWIGER,   b. 1818, Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1895, Center Point, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years) 
    Mother Mary BATES,   b. CA 1806, Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F13149  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Alice Ann HOOPER,   b. 1846, Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Jan 1924, Folsom, Wetzel Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years)  [9] 
    Married 21 Sep 1865  Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Children 
    +1. Sarah Tabitha "Bitha" SWIGER,   b. 23 Jul 1866, Ashley, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 May 1944, Smithfield, Wetzel Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)
    +2. John Daniel SWIGER,   b. 17 Oct 1868, Ashley, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Jan 1900  (Age 31 years)
    +3. Mary Virginia SWIGER,   b. Jan 1871,   d. 1913  (Age ~ 41 years)
    +4. Benjamin Benton SWIGER,   b. 12 Jan 1874, Ashley, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Sep 1959, Sunnyside (West Union), Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 85 years)
     5. Arretta Louvina SWIGER,   b. 25 Jun 1877,   d. 5 Apr 1947  (Age 69 years)
    +6. William Andrew Harrison SWIGER,   b. 4 Nov 1878, Center Point, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 May 1947, Salem, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)
    +7. Emily Rosetta SWIGER,   b. 27 Aug 1880, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 May 1952, Bristol, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years)
    +8. Martha O. "Mattie" SWIGER,   b. Aug 1884, Wetzel Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location
    +9. Harrison Henry Walter SWIGER,   b. 4 Aug 1889, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Jan 1932, Rinehart (Wallace), Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 42 years)
    Family ID F31774  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Virginia Burd "Genie" ASH,   b. Dec 1865, Sedalia, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Nov 1942, Tenmile District, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 76 years)  [11] 
    Married 8 Mar 1924  Sedalia, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [12] 
    Documents
    74466_WilliamESwiger_VirginiaAshCutright_MarriageRecord_8Mar1924.jpg    		74466_WilliamESwiger_VirginiaAshCutright_MarriageRecord_8Mar1924.jpg
    Family ID F33345  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    74466_William-Emanuel-Swiger.jpg    		74466_William-Emanuel-Swiger.jpg
    74466_William-E-Swiger_MilitaryMarker_WrongBirthYear_CenterPointCem_DoddridgeCoWV.jpg    		74466_William-E-Swiger_MilitaryMarker_WrongBirthYear_CenterPointCem_DoddridgeCoWV.jpg
    Photo by Jennifer Wilt.

    Documents
    74466_SWIGER_WilliamEmanuel_EnlistmentStatement_FathersConsent_13Feb1865.jpg    		74466_SWIGER_WilliamEmanuel_EnlistmentStatement_FathersConsent_13Feb1865.jpg
    74466_SWIGER_WilliamEmanuel_HospitalAdmissionDischargeRecord_Mar-Apr1865.jpg    		74466_SWIGER_WilliamEmanuel_HospitalAdmissionDischargeRecord_Mar-Apr1865.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S941] 1850 Census, Doddridge County, (W)VA.

    2. [S1890] 1860 Census, Doddridge County, (W)VA.

    3. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV.

    4. [S1654] Harrison County Marriage Records, Clarksburg, WV.

    5. [S37] Historical Military Records, (www.fold3.com).

    6. [S1853] Death Certificate, WV State Dept of Health, Div of Vital Statistics, (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_dcsearch.aspx), http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=27794&Type=Death.

    7. [S14] Obituary.

    8. [S934] Findagrave.com.

    9. [S1583] Marriage record of daughter.

    10. [S1654] Harrison County Marriage Records, Clarksburg, WV, MR p. 38 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=253190&Type=Marriage.
      Identified as Wm. E. Swiger, 19, b. Harrison Co, res. Doddridge Co, son of Daniel & Mary Swiger; and Alice Ann Hoopper, 19, b. & res. in Harrison Co, dau of John & Jane Hoopper. Married Sep 21 1865 in Harrison County.

    11. [S110] Obituary of husband.

    12. [S2292] Wetzel County Marriage Records, New Martinsville, WV, MR p. 59 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11604565&Type=Marriage.
      Identified as William E. Swiger, widower, 77, b. Doddridge Co, res. Smithfield; and Mrs. Virginia Cutright, widow, 56, b. Harrison Co, res. Sedalia. Married Mar 8 1924 "at the Home of the Bride." Witnesses: Hazel Cutright, Dessie Seckman, W. A. Cornwell. Informant for marriage license: C. S. Lowe.